No demolition, no alteration of dargah inside Vemulawada temple premises, says Telangana HC

Hyderabad: In a timely intervention that has prevented what many believe would have been a grave miscarriage of justice, the High Court of Telangana on Thursday passed a significant order protecting the Dargah Hazrath Syed Tajuddin Khaja Bagh Sawar.

The dargah is a 12th century heritage shrine situated within the premises of the Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Temple, Vemulawada, Rajanna Sircilla District.

‘Symbol of communal harmony being barricaded’

The matter came before the High Court in a petition filed by Mohammad Nazima, challenging the illegal fencing, barricading and obstruction of the dargah by the State authorities.

The petitioner’s counsel contended that the dargah, standing for over 800 years as a symbol of communal harmony alongside the famous Vemulawada temple, was now threatened with relocation by officials, including the District Collector and the Executive Officer of the Devasthanam, an act that struck at the very soul of the region’s composite cultural heritage.

It was further argued that the Mutawalli of the Dargah has no authority under law to consent to any relocation, and that such authority vests exclusively with the Telangana State Waqf Board.

Court orders a stop to all coercive steps

Taking serious note of the submissions, the High Court was pleased to record the undertaking given by the respondents—the State of Telangana, the District Collector, the Executive Officer of the Devasthanam, and the Superintendent of Police, Rajanna Sircilla—and directed that no coercive steps of any nature, including relocation, demolition or alteration, shall be taken in respect of the dargah.

The order has been widely hailed as a decisive judicial safeguard for a heritage structure that has stood as a living testament to the centuries-old tradition of peaceful coexistence between communities in Telangana.

The case was argued by Advocate Zeeshan Adnan Mahmood of Mahmood and Company, Advocates, Secunderabad.

More about the dargah

The Dargah Hazrath Syed Tajuddin Khaja Bagh Sawar is a 12th-century shrine that holds a unique and revered place in the cultural fabric of Telangana. Its significance stems largely from its location and the centuries of shared worship it has inspired.

The dargah is dedicated to Hazrath Syed Tajuddin Khaja Bagh Sawar, a Sufi saint who lived in the 12th century.